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The Wrestler 1
The Wrestler 1 is an encounter in Children of the Dragon-Rider. Enemies * Royal Battle Mage (1560 Gold, 192 XP, 120 Energy, 7 HP) * Royal War Wizard (1625 Gold, 200 XP, 125 Energy, 7 HP) Transcript Introduction "Come on!" "Get stuck in!" "Go for his legs!" You and Rakshara are wandering around the farm, exchanging idle comments about the hero whose sword she wields in battle, when those cries and many others like them draw you over. A group of Roderick's followers are in the middle of a field, forming a loose circle around a pair of wrestlers. One's the tall, bald man who introduced himself to you as Big Edwin. A superfluous title if ever you've heard one. Not even your oroc companion could call the brawny, broad-chested fellow small. The other wrestler is a short, stocky dwarf whose build owes more to the Stonebound than their surface kin. The dwarf's taking some of the shouted advice. Though really his diminutive height makes it the obvious stratagem. He dives at Edwin's legs, wraps his thick, strong arms around the human's knee, and tries to pull the limb out from under him. Big Edwin sprawls, spreading his legs to widen his base, leans down, and seizes the dwarf. His left arm takes the opponent's head into a front chancery. His right hooks a leg. With an effortless heave and pivot, the dwarf is plucked off the ground before being dumped over onto his back. The spectators cheer. "Ha! Got me again, you bald bastard!" The dwarf rises and reaches up to clap Edwin on his shoulder. "Anyone else?" the victor asks. "First to three falls, and you can start on two!" There's much shaking of heads and thrusting out of hands. No one's tempted by the offer, even with the handicap. It's then that Edwin's jovial, grinning face turns to you. "! Don't tell me a kasan doesn't know how to wrestle!" The others hoot in approval of the challenge. Edwin's right. No master-at-arms worth their salt would neglect to teach a student how to grapple. You know your share of wrestling tricks. But... "Go on, !" "Show him you you wrestle in East Kruna!" "Don't worry!" a woman adds. "if he breaks your arms, I'll feed you!" You sigh. Camaraderie and the saving of face demand that you accept the challenge. "I'll give it a try," you say. They clap their hands, Edwin included. A moment later you're standing in front of the wrestler. And a moment after that, you're lying on the grass - not entirely certain how you ended up there. "Two more falls and I win, ," your opponent says. "But you win if you get one." After that rousing suggestion, you scramble up and grab at him again. In a single swift motion you grasp his wrist and upper arm, pivot, thrust with your hip, and... find yourself back on the grass. Edwin laughs. It's a good-natured chuckle, but it still makes injured pride seethe in your belly. So you stand up once more. This time you'll get him... He moves in, leaning forward, arms reaching out to find their holds. You take a step back, then leap up and wrap your arm around his head. Your hands clasp together to complete the headlock. With a little help from gravity you should be able to- Big Edwin hoos your legs, brings you over in an arc, and slams you to the ground. He stops himself on one knee rater than dropping his heavy frame on top of you. But the impact still drives the air out of your body. "Are you okay?" You nod. There isn't any breath left in your lungs to form words. He extends his hand, helps you up, and pats you on the back. "Don't listen to them," he says, indicating his jeering friends. "None of them have ever done any better." "Can I try?" Rakshara asks. They all fall silent. The spectators favor your orange friend with dubious looks. An oroc and a human are far from evenly matched. That subterranean race's dense bodies and crystal skeletons make them far mightier. But Edwin grins and waves her into the circle. You're glad to get out of there when she enters. The silence endures while the two of them assume their stances and make their first tentative movements towards one another. Every gaze is fastened on them, unblinking. As unfair as the contest is, you sense that some of the others wouldn't mind seeing Edwin take a fall and lose his mantle of supremacy. They clinch, grabbing each other by the neck and upper arm. Rakshara pushes her weight down against him. Big Edwin buckles. Strong as he is, human flesh and bone just weren't built to contend with an oroc. She drives her opponent backwards, thrusting him towards the ground by main force. And then Edwin flips her over. Your orange companion's long legs arc through the air, describing a circle, and she lands on her back - hurled by her own momentum. Rakshara blinks. Then she laughs. Edwin and the others join in. *** "Where were you?" the battle mage asked. "I though you'd snuck off and gone back to bed!" "I was taking a piss," the purple-robed war wizard replied. "But someone split my head open with a cleaver. The battle mage stared at him. Then the war wizard grabbed him around the waist and fell backwards - throwing the hapless caster over and smashing his head against the stone in a horrendous suplex that made Hugh grimace. And illusionist's spell dissipated around Big Edwin. His powerful body was revealed in all its muscular glory, as the other spellcasters snatched for their staves and muttered hasty incantations. Conclusion "Helmph!" It began as a scream for aid, but it became a muffled groan when Hugh's fat fist, surrounded by a soft purple glow - smashed through the mage's teeth, forced his jaws wide open, and filled his maw. "Keep your sodding gob shut!" Edwin grabbed the mage by the back of his robes and yanked him away. The caster's head smashed against the battlements, before the wrestler tossed him over the edge. Category:Children of the Dragon-Rider